OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES • Select a Category of Entry to continue.

This category is for narrative feature films and series that are over forty minutes in length (including credits.) Live action or animation. We consider and program from all genres. Series must be combined into one video that is forty minutes or more. We consider and program from all genres (Drama, Comedy, Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi etc.) We strongly prefer to program premieres.

This category is for narrative feature films and series that are up to 39 minutes in length. Live action or animation. We consider and program from all genres. Series must be combined into one video that is 39 minutes or less. (Drama, Comedy, Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi music videos, etc.)

This category is for Documentary Films and Series that are 40 minutes and over in length (including credits.) Series must be submitted as one video that is 40 minutes or more. We strongly prefer premieres but will consider all submissions.

This category is for avant-garde, experimental, non-linear and/or non-narrative films and series of any length. AoBFF has created a space for work that is not easily categorized and is often ignored by festivals.

Many submissions for Film As Art come from visual artists as well as filmmakers. We consider and program shorts (under 40 minutes) and feature length (over 40 minutes) in this category. Series must be submitted as a single combined video.

This category is for unproduced film or TV scripts of 120 pages or less. Screenplays can be in Film or TV format, any genre as long as they do not exceed the page limit. All entries will be judged by professional script readers.

PLEASE NOTE: When submitting a screenplay, you must describe how it is connected to Brooklyn in order to be eligible. (See #1 of our Rules & Terms for examples.)

This category is for work that is reality-based or unscripted but does not fall under Documentaries. For example, talk shows, interview format, instructional television series, or other reality-based series.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is the flagship indie film event of Brooklyn.

Founded in 2011, AoBFF is the ONLY international, independent festival in the world exclusively devoted to Brooklyn’s vibrant film and media scene. We accept films from all over, as long as they are connected to the borough in some way (e.g. cast/crew, production, content, theme, setting, etc.)

We are also the only indie film festival to build and program our own video-on-demand streaming platform: Brooklyn On Demand. We broadcast festival favorites, original series and more, online and on a Roku channel with over 10,000 subscribers, alongside Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. brooklynondemand.com

AoBFF is a creative hub, platform and showcase for independent film and media makers in Brooklyn and around the world. We partner with film distributors and media organizations, host world-class talkbacks, and create innovative programming for networking and skill building. And we screen in state-of-the-art theaters for enthusiastic audiences across Brooklyn.

We believe that film festivals exist for filmmakers, not the other way around.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

ABOUT US:
• In 2017, we screened Kelly Reichardt's 'Certain Women' and welcomed Neil deGrasse Tyson as a special festival guest for our New York Premiere of the feature 'Future '38'
• In 2016, we screened the premiere of the theatrical cut of Spike Lee’s new documentary ‘2 Fists Up’ through a partnership with ESPN Films.
• Our Official Selections Hunter&Game (2015) Lake Nowhere (2015), Lemon (2014), American Bomber (2013), Casual Encounters (2013) and You Bury Your Own (2012) all went on to get distribution.
• Our 2014 Best Animation winner ‘How You Doin’ Boy? Voicemails From Gran’pa’ was sold as a series to HBO Latino.
• We won a Brooklyn Innovation Award for Creative Group of the Year in 2015 for our leading-edge use of technology.
• We welcomed 2,000 guests to the 2016 AoBFF

NEW FOR 2017:
AoBFF is launching a Screenplay Competition for our 7th Annual festival. Entries will be judged by a panel of professional script readers. We’ll announce 5 Finalists, and the Winner will receive a staged reading cast with professional actors, produced by us!

“The press coverage and accolades [AoBFF] granted us made [American Bomber] a ‘must see’ film that led to… a distribution deal with IndiePix Films. I could not have asked for a better World Premiere than Art of Brooklyn.” — Eric Trenkamp (Winner: Best Director 2013)

“AoBFF was truly one of the best film festivals I’ve ever attended. It was an honor to be part of such a fantastic festival that fostered a sense of community for its filmmakers. The curation was an immense cut above the rest.”
—Lexie Kanahovitz (Winner, Vanguard Award 2016 for Super Fun Show! With Learning)

“A great experience. The festival was well run by awesome people who clearly care about film and the people who make it. They curate a fantastic selection of films every year!
— Kat Vecchio (Director, ‘This Is How I Roll’ 2013 Official Selection)

‘I had a great time at AoBFF. As a filmmaker, I felt very supported by the festival. They were really organized and on top of everything from screening times to e-vites to marketing. I enjoyed the other films in my block, and the venue was great.’
— Bat-Sheva Guez, (Winner, Best Director 2016 for Behind The Wall)

OUR PRESS:
• ‘Pumping out groundbreaking content… AoBFF sets itself apart from the traditional Brooklyn film scene in so many ways.’ – Holly Thicknes, GIRLS ON FILM (London)
• ‘An indie gem that showcases the best of the borough…the festival has become a hub for the area’s indie film scene.' – INDUSTRY Magazine
• ‘For Brooklyn, by Brooklyn and about Brooklyn’ – The L Magazine
• We have been featured in Time Out NY, the New York Times, Filmmaker Magazine, and more. (see http://www.theartofbrooklyn.org/press.html for links)

OUR ETHICAL SUBMISSION POLICY:
• We watch every film submitted to us, right up until midnight of our extended deadline. And yes, we have programmed films we received on the last day of submissions!
• Our Film Selection Panel is a diverse group of industry professionals, and we choose a new Guest Festival Director each season, so that the AoBFF doesn’t reflect a single, static point of view.
• Only films that we receive through our submissions process are eligible for festival awards.

HOW WE SCREEN:
• Our main screening space is a 300-seat theater in Downtown Brooklyn. We also screen at a 280-seat auditorium in Bay Ridge, and a state-of-the-art 4K cinema in Clinton Hill, among others.
• Our Technical Director pre-screens every selection in advance, to ensure the best-quality version of your film screens for our audience.
• We only screen from digital files to ensure a high quality screening without the technical pitfalls that can accompany DVDs or Blu-Rays.
• Our projectionists always remain in the theater for every screening.

OUR PREMIERES:
We prefer to screen premieres, especially for features. It can be hard to decide where to premiere your film and we want to make a strong case for doing it with us. We have a great track record of opening films, garnering them press and industry attention with successful screenings... If ESPN Films trusted us to premiere the theatrical cut of Spike Lee’s 2 Fists Up, maybe you can too? We’re just saying.

THE AoBFF EXPERIENCE:
• We create opportunities to connect with your peers and industry at our world-class audience talkbacks, panels for networking and skill building, and our amazing Opening Night Party.
• We are aggressive about promoting our screenings to press and audience: We have over 4,000 Facebook fans and our promoted posts get over 10,000 views each.
• Your film’s festival run is an important part of its long-term marketing plan. We will partner with you to make the most of your AoBFF screening; before, during and after the festival. Premiering with us pays off!
• Our communication skills are legendary; you’ll always be in the loop.
• We produce broadcast quality interviews with AoBFF filmmakers that appear on our streaming platform Brooklyn On Demand (brooklynondemand.com), online and on Roku even after the festival ends.
• Our filmmakers love screening with us! See industry testimonials here: theartofbrooklyn.org/testimonials

"It was great to premiere my film ‘Casual Encounters’ at AoBFF. We had a sold-out theater on Opening Night and wonderful experience overall. Our film went on to win the Best Feature award, gained momentum and is now playing several festivals."
– Will McCord (Director, ‘Casual Encounters,’ Winner: Best Feature 2013)

“The festival is run by filmmakers and people who love filmmakers. They understand the challenges of filmmaking and work hard to celebrate the finished product.”
— Jordan Thomas (Director, ‘Fort Greene,’ 2013 Official Selection)

“I love the AoBFF, it’s an amazing festival and its organizers are fiercely loyal to the integrity of their mission and the films they present. They're full-on rooting for the gutsy filmmaker.”
— Lisa Dowda (Producer, ‘How To Make Movies At Home,’ World Premiere 2013)

ORGANIZERS

GENERAL RULES

THE ART OF BROOKLYN FILM FESTIVAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

1) If you are a filmmaker who can demonstrate a connection between your film and Brooklyn, you are welcome to submit.

For example:
– Your film was shot in Brooklyn
– You live and/or work in Brooklyn or have spent formative time here
– You are from Brooklyn but now you live elsewhere
-- Your cast, crew or production staff is from Brooklyn
-- Brooklyn is a key inspiration in the creation of your film

In the past we have screened a documentary by an Italian filmmaker about a Hasidic Brooklyn rapper, a horror film by a Brooklyn-born filmmaker who now lives in Australia, Canadian and Japanese films that were shot in Brooklyn, and a Turkish film directly inspired by Brooklyn’s diversity.

If you have questions about eligibility, please see the FAQs on our festival website:

http://www.theartofbrooklyn.org/submissions.html

2) The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival programs all genres including comedy, drama, documentary, animation, horror, sci-fi, music video and experimental films. We guarantee that all films submitted will be viewed up until midnight of the final day of submissions. Our Film Screening Panel—led by our Festival Director—views all submissions and selects the films we program. A Judging Panel of industry professionals will then select award-winning films in each category.

3) The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival strongly prefers to program premieres but will consider all films submitted. We have a strong record of very successful premiere screenings and hope you choose to premier with AoBFF.

4) All submissions must include an online screener via Withoutabox.

5) If your film is selected, you must have a Quicktime version of your film in exhibition format available for pre-screening. And entrants will be solely responsible for delivering exhibition materials to and from the screening location in advance of the festival. The Art of Brooklyn cannot be held liable for exhibition print/video materials that are lost or damaged.

6) All submission fees must be paid via credit card, PayPal, check, or money order.
Payment made by credit card through Withoutabox.com is strongly preferred. Checks or Money Orders must be made out to: The Art of Brooklyn Festival.

By submitting my film, I allow it to be screened at The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival if accepted.

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any accepted film for any promotional purposes. (Print, press, online.)

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless The Art of Brooklyn from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

By entering (submitting to) The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, entrants release and hold the Art of Brooklyn, its Board of Directors, Officers, Staff and Volunteers harmless from and against all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participation with the competition or participation in any competition related activity.

By entering (submitting to) to the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival you are granting the right for The Art of Brooklyn to screen your film publicly one to two times in the next twelve months (depending on the festival entered).

By entering (submitting to) the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival you are admitting that you have read, understood and agreed to follow our Rules and Regulations for festival submission and to abide by our Terms and Conditions of service and our general festival Rules and Regulations.

Failure to comply with The Art of Brooklyn guidelines, rules, regulations, or eligibility will be cause for disqualification and can result in having your film pulled from screening or competition.

All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

By submitting my film, I allow it to be screened at The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival if accepted.

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any accepted film for any promotional purposes. (Print, press, online.)

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless The Art of Brooklyn from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

By entering (submitting to) The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, entrants release and hold the Art of Brooklyn, its Board of Directors, Officers, Staff and Volunteers harmless from and against all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participation with the competition or participation in any competition related activity.

By entering (submitting to) to The Art of Brooklyn Festival you are granting the right for The Art of Brooklyn to screen your film publicly one to two times in the next twelve months (depending on the festival entered).

By entering (submitting to) The Art of Brooklyn Festival you are admitting that you have read, understood and agreed to follow our Rules and Regulations for festival submission and to abide by our Terms and Conditions of service and our general festival Rules and Regulations.

Failure to comply with The Art of Brooklyn guidelines, rules, regulations, or eligibility will be cause for disqualification and can result in having your film pulled from screening or competition.